Hopewell Mennonite Church (Reading, Pennsylvania, USA)
The Hopewell Mennonite Church, Reading, Pennsylvania, USA, began as an outreach church of the Hopewell Mennonite Church in Elverson, Pennsylvania. The group began as a Saturday evening prayer group led by John and Sandra Shantz. It held its first evening worship service in December 1981, and in April 1982 started to hold Sunday morning services. In September, it purchased the historic Second Reformed Church in Reading. That building was originally constructed in 1855, with a significant renovation in 1892 that was paid for by the Reading Railroad president, George Baer. The building had been vacant for two years when Hopewell purchased it.
In 2001 Hopewell Mennonite Church did not join with other Hopewell District congregations to form the Hopewell Network of Churches. Instead, it remained part of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Mennonite Church USA.
Hopewell Mennonite Church closed about 2017 when it was reduced to about 12 members and could not maintain its historic building that the city condemned as unsafe. The building was purchased by a local developer and became an event venue under the name George Baer Chapel.
Bibliography
Betz, Lisa and Lester Zimmerman. The handprint of God: History of the Hopewell Network. New Holland, Pa.: Hopewell Network, 2017.
Perez, Walter. "Majestic church in Reading to get $1 million restoration." 6ABC.com. 13 March 2019. Web. 25 January 2022. https://6abc.com/reading-church-restoration-restored-in-alan-shuman-hopewell-mennonite/5189964/.
Additional Information
Address: 39 South 6th Street, Reading, Pennsylvania 19602
Phone:
Website:
Denominational Affiliations: Atlantic Coast Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Hopewell Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| John W. Shantz | 1981-1985 |
| Calvin Kurtz | 1982-1995 |
| Kendrick "Jack" Scandrett | 1995-2004 |
| David Smither (Interim) | 2004-2005 |
| Frantz St. Iago-Peretz Santiago | 2005-2015 |
| Leslie Homer-Cattell (Interim) | 2015-2017 |
Membership at Hopewell Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1984 | 42 |
| 1990 | 71 |
| 2000 | 110 |
| 2007 | 75 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2022 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Hopewell Mennonite Church (Reading, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2022. Web. 27 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hopewell_Mennonite_Church_(Reading,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=173014.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (January 2022). Hopewell Mennonite Church (Reading, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 27 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hopewell_Mennonite_Church_(Reading,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=173014.
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